German Shepherds For Dummies [Paperback]

D. Caroline Coile (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2000

Everybody thinks they know the German Shepherd. Many of us grew up with Rin Tin Tin, or we saw German Shepherds in nightly news reports breaking up riots, or we saw them in neighbors’ backyards protecting children. But that only scratches the surface of one of the most fascinating and confusing breeds on earth. Whether it’s selection, nutrition, routine health care, training, competition, or just having fun, there’s more to it with a German Shepherd than with other breeds. And if you’re thinking about adding one to your family, or you already have one, you need to know all you can about this breed. Which is where German Shepherds For Dummies comes in.

Is this noble and intelligent breed the right dog for you and your family? German Shepherds For Dummies provides the answer to this and all your questions about getting, caring for, and living with this loveable breed. Lifelong German Shepherd owner and longtime German Shepherd breeder, trainer, and exhibitor, Carline Coile, PhD ,gets you up and running with what you need to know to:

• Find and communicate with reputable breeders
• Choose the right German Shepherd for you
• Housebreak and socialize your new puppy
• Educate yourself and your dog
• Handle behavioral problems
• Participate in competitions

Dr. Coile provides insights into the German Shepherd temperament and loads of sensible, easy-to-follow advice, along with fun facts and Shepherd trivia, amusing and informative anecdotes, and tips on how to have a great time with your dog. Discover how to:

• Understand how to communicate with your German Shepherd
• Train your German Shepherd
• Find a good trainer and attend classes
• Deal with hereditary health problems
• Feed and exercise your German Shepherd
• Recognize, prevent and treat common health problems
• Have loyal friend for life

The indispensable guide for you and your German Shepherd, German Shepherds For Dummies is the only book you’ll need to help you have the best possible experience with this handsome and sensitive breed of dog.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Find out about your German Shepherd's special needs

Get the lowdown on keeping your dog healthy and content Loyal and intelligent, the German Shepherd has a long history as a working dog and as a family companion. This fun and friendly book provides insights into the German Shepherd temperament, sensible advice on taking care of and training your dog, tips on participating in a variety of dog competitions, and much more.

Discover how to: Choose the right German Shepherd for you Acclimate your puppy to his new home Educate yourself and your dog Maintain good health through proper exercise and diet Handle behavioral problems

The Dummies Way^™ Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! www.dummies.com Attention pet owners! Get free Dummies Daily^™ e-mail newsletters Sign up today for tips on dogs, cats, or birds Keep your pet healthy and content — the Dummies Way^™

About the Author

D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D., is an enthusiastic dog breeder and exhibitor. She is the author of 17 dog books and many dog-related magazine articles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (September 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764552805
• ISBN-13: 978-0764552809
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D. has written 34 books and hundreds of magazine and scientific articles about dogs. She writes the monthly Breeder's Notebook column for Dog World magazine and the bi-monthly Nutrition column for the AKC Gazette. Her dog writing awards include the Dog Writer's Association of America Maxwell Award (eight times), the AKC Canine Health Foundation Award (twice), the Eukanuba Canine Health Award (twice), and the DWAA Denlinger Award. Her best-known book is Barron's Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. She has also written two children's books about dogs.

Caroline holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Florida State University, with research interests in canine behavior, senses, genetics and neuropsychology. She has taught college classes in psychology, behavioral genetics, animal senses, and animal learning, among others. She has served as a canine consultant to the FAA and has served on the AKC Canine Health Foundation President's Council. She has appeared on television and radio shows, including NPR's Talk of the Nation and Australia's Breakfast Radio. She has been quoted in Newsweek magazine and USA Today.

On a practical level, Caroline has lived with dogs all of her life, and has competed in dog events since 1975. She is the only person to have owned Best in Show, Best in Field, High in Trial (obedience), and High in Trial (agility) salukis, and they were all owner-handled. Her dogs have included nationally ranked #1 show and #1 obedience salukis, and top-10 lure-coursing, agility, rally and racing salukis.

www.carolinecoile.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars THE WORST BOOK ON GERMAN SHEPHERDS....EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!, January 28, 2006

By 

K.H.L. "kathylambert99" (RI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: German Shepherds For Dummies (Paperback)

I'll tell you why.:
Little story, my husband surprised me with a GS puppy last year when I came back from a weeklong vacation. I did not want a puppy yet because I've never owned a dog before and I wanted to do some reading on the subject, especially with a GS. It's not the kind of breed that you can just buy and say "ok, we have a cute puppy" and that's it. Every dog deserves a well informed owner. But I ended up using my intuition and common sense to do the majority of training for my dog (who I now love dearly). This book taught me nothing that I hadn't already figured out on my own. And I must add that there is only about 10% of this book that is actually geared towards GS's. It's a very broad based book on how to train a dog, not just a GS. There are many other books out there that will tell you about the breed and what to expect about there intelligience, personality and the AKC standards for this breed. I learned more things browsing through GS magazines at PetSmart. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK !!!! There are MUCH better books about German Shepherds !!!!!!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars German Shepherds for Dummies, May 18, 2007

By 

K. Lue "Kent" (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: German Shepherds For Dummies (Paperback)

I'm new to dog ownership and I just adopted an 18-month old German Shepherd Dog from a local shelter. I wanted to learn as much as I could about dogs, specifically GSD's so I ordered this book. My observations are:

1) The book is informative and covers I wide range of topics, i.e., training, feeding, housebreaking, etc.
2) This book can be used as a reference guide so you don't need to read the entire book if you just need advice on specific issues.
3) This book was easy to read and I read the entire book in a few days.
4) Although I gained some knowledge from this book, many of the items covered I was able to find quite easily on the internet for free.
5) This book was inexpensive and available through Amazon with free shipping, which is how I got it.

Bottom line: If you don't mind spending a few dollars, this is a nice reference guide to have. Otherwise, you can find this information for free on the internet.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Champion Read !, December 13, 2003

By 

Glen M Darlow (Big Trout Lake, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: German Shepherds For Dummies (Paperback)

= A Champion Read

As a German Shepherd owner in northern Ontario, Canada, I found this book of valuable assistance. There is little help in a practical sense for animals in this part of the world, but this book has really helped. Chapters 12 and 13 on pet care are the best chapters in the book: they help you to dedect ailments early on and so you can avoid expensive trips to vets or even losing your loved animal.
Each chapter is clearly set out and has spacing between main paragraphs and sections.

It is obvious that this book is written by a true professional: it is thorough, yet not boringly over detailed. It mentions in one chapter about dominant aggression of the dog, but also, as always, goes to the root cause of the problem , which, of course, helps the breeder or owner alike, to be beware and maybe prevent such behaviour from happening in public.

As I say, it is a very practical book. It starts with a practical plan of how much it would cost to keep a German Shepherd at your home and then goes on to point out how it would fit in the family, how to house it etc. In another chapter, it gives really good advice on what to do with the "undesirables" such as how to remove a stink from your home to removing ticks from the dog.

Beautiful black & white as well as colour photos accompany the chapters.

Only a dummie would skip buying this book !

Glen M Darlow